Mumbai, Kohima, Visakhapatnam safest for women; Patna, Jaipur, Delhi least safe: Report

New Delhi: Kohima, Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Aizawl, Gangtok, Itanagar and Mumbai have emerged as the safest cities for women in India, while Patna, Jaipur, Faridabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Srinagar and Ranchi ranked lowest, according to the National Annual Report & Index on Women’s Safety (NARI) 2025, which also found that 40 per cent of women still consider themselves “not so safe” or “unsafe” in their cities.

The index, released on Thursday, was compiled from a survey of 12,770 women across 31 cities. It assigned a national safety score of 65 per cent, categorising urban centres into four bands—“much above,” “above,” “below,” and “much below” the benchmark.

The findings suggest that cities at the top of the list displayed stronger indicators of gender equity, civic participation, policing efficiency and women-friendly infrastructure. By contrast, those at the bottom were associated with weaker institutional support, patriarchal social patterns and infrastructural shortcomings.

The report stated, “Kohima, Vishakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Aizawl, Gangtok, Itanagar, Mumbai lead national safety rankings, often correlating with higher gender equity, infrastructure, policing, or civic participation while Ranchi, Srinagar, Kolkata, Delhi, Faridabad, Patna, and Jaipur scored lowest, correlating with poorer infrastructure, patriarchal norms, or weaker institutional responsiveness.”

Despite the progress indicated by top-ranked cities, the survey revealed persistent concerns nationwide. Six in ten women described themselves as feeling safe in their city, but 40 per cent expressed that they still felt either “not so safe” or “unsafe”. The perception of security dropped significantly after dark, particularly in public transport systems and recreational areas.

Educational institutions received higher confidence levels during the day, with 86 per cent of respondents reporting a sense of safety. However, the figure fell sharply after hours or off campus.

Workplace safety appeared more encouraging, with 91 per cent of women reporting that they felt secure. Yet, nearly half of respondents were uncertain whether their employers had implemented a Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) policy. Those who confirmed the presence of such measures generally believed them to be effective.

Trust in official institutions remained limited. Only a quarter of women surveyed said they believed authorities would act effectively on complaints. While 69 per cent rated existing safety efforts as “somewhat adequate”, over 30 per cent noted significant gaps. Just 65 per cent observed any real improvement between 2023 and 2024.

The report also recorded instances of harassment in public spaces. Seven per cent of women said they faced such experiences in 2024, with the proportion doubling to 14 per cent among those under the age of 24. Neighbourhood streets (38 per cent) and public transport (29 per cent) were identified as the most common hotspots. However, only one in three victims reported the incidents.

Underscoring the limitations of official statistics, the report noted, “Two out of three women do not report harassment, meaning NCRB misses the bulk of incidents.” It called for integrating official crime data with perception-based surveys like NARI to gain a fuller picture.

Speaking at the launch, National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar said women’s safety could not be reduced to policing concerns alone. “Safety affects every aspect of a woman’s life—whether it is her education, health, work opportunities or freedom of movement,” she remarked.

Rahatkar observed that when women feel unsafe, they restrict themselves, which she said has implications not only for personal growth but also for national progress. She described women’s security as spanning four dimensions: physical, psychological, financial and digital.

“Cybercrime and misuse of personal data threaten women every day, and we must strengthen protections in this space. It is our responsibility to protect women not just from crimes on the streets but also from cybercrimes, economic discrimination and mental harassment,” she added.

She highlighted progress such as the rising number of women police officers and female drivers in public transport. “In many union territories, 33 per cent of police personnel are now women, and this has made a decisive difference in building trust,” she said.

Rahatkar also praised women’s helplines, CCTV expansion in smart cities, and enhanced safety networks at railway and bus stations. However, she stressed that the responsibility extended beyond authorities. “We often blame the system, but we must also ask what we have done. Whether it is using helplines, supporting awareness drives, or simply keeping public toilets clean, society’s role is equally important,” she said.

She concluded by linking safety with broader equality at work, noting that dignity, equal wages and opportunities are integral to a safe environment.

The NARI index is an initiative of Pvalue Analytics, The NorthCap University and Jindal Global Law School and is published by the Group of Intellectuals and Academicians (GIA).